Four: Captain Mary Caisley, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve and Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, all privately engraved ‘P. 206848 M. Caisley QAIMNS./R’, very fine (4) £70-£90

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Norman Gooding Collection.

View
Collection

Mary Caisley was born in Berwick-upon-Tweed on 13 February 1911 and took her nursing studies at the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital from 3 August 1932 to 3 November 1935. Joining Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service Reserve as Sister on 2 October 1939, she served at Military Hospitals in York, Londonderry and Dumfries, including a two-month attachment to No. 33 General Hospital at Peebles. Sent to Aldershot in 1943, she spent a short period aboard the Hospital Ship El Nil, before being posted to the Hospital Ship Oranje from 20 March 1944 to 10 June 1945. Discharged on 29 November 1945, she was transferred to a commission as Captain in Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps Regular Reserve of Officers on 24 November 1950.

Sold with a large archive of original documentation including named Identity Card for H.S. Oranje; National Registration Identity Card; Red Cross Identity Certificate; Ministry of Transport Continuous Certificate of Discharge; a post-War passport, bearing portrait photograph, 1960s era; invitation to Buckingham Palace garden party; M.O.D. letter regarding reaching the upper age limit, dated 23 February 1966; and further correspondence, pension details etc.